Have made it to Diamond 5 for only the second time since the new Ranking Ladder came out, and am thinking with a couple weeks left this may be my chance to finally make Legend.
I understand that once you pass D5 you no longer get extra stars for win streaks, right? So any suggestions for getting through the slog? Better to go with a fast deck to get you through more games in a day, or a slower deck with a slightly higher win rate? Any other suggestions?
Be prepared to be really irritated. From D5 down, its a cancer ward. Every mouth-breather deck is on display one after another. All busted, all ridiculous. Of course, YOU can play one of those decks too but then the problem becomes: Wins and losses are 100% out of your control. Whoever draws their busted shit first wins Or, with polarized match ups the game is over before it even starts. That happens a lot too.
Im using a Reno Hunter deck that gets me to D3-D2 but thats it. Full wall of Paladins and Priests. There is almost nothing I can do against either deck. Paladins buff their 1 cost minions so they are like 8/8 and many have charge. WHAT the $%^&* is that? And Priest? yeah, right. Vargoth makes that Res crap obscene. Even if i stay patient and can Sylvanas one of their big minions or Hex one with Zephyrs..... they still manage to crank out big minion after big minion and then res them like 37 times.
So, just.... use Paladin(handBuff or unlimited divine shield and buffs to recruits) or Res priest. Secret mage can work too b but even my Reno Hunter deck wrecks them like 65% of the time.
Well, just had a "fun" server issue where I had finally gotten all three stars on D5, and then beat a Shaman, and rather than move up to D4 with 1 star it told me "You can't drop below this level".
Pardon me while I go take a moment to shed a few tears...
I made that exact climb two days ago. I reached legend with a Face Hunter. I just auto-conceded every time I saw a priest. Be patient. I got to Diamond 1 like 6 times before finally breaking through.
Secret mage is easiest legend in game right now. I went D5 to Legend with only 3 losses and only took 2 hours. This deck destroys priest and warlock 90% of time. Pally is 50/50. Use the mulligan guide if you are new to secret mage. Generally play for board first half of game then face and burn second half of game once you have tempo
I personally suggest using something aggro-oriented, for quick and efficient games. In this current meta, Odd Pal feels like a stomper and lots of opponents simply concede on the 4-5th turn because they don't have any tools to clear the board.
I personally suggest using something aggro-oriented, for quick and efficient games. In this current meta, Odd Pal feels like a stomper and lots of opponents simply concede on the 4-5th turn because they don't have any tools to clear the board.
You should try it.
Agreed - its 100% brainless and does work. But, mind you - the DECK gets legend and climbs, NOT the player. If people are good with that then go for it. But you didnt do anything to contribute. Just clarifying that fact.
Any particular version of Odd Paly you recommend? I'm up to D2 now, and so far have only seen one of these so it's a little hard to get a feel for what makes the deck go.
I wasn't sure if I should say anything further on this, but after the last two days I'm feeling like I should say something. Have played 43 games since I hit D1 and 2 stars. I am playing the same deck that got me up there. Out of those 43 games, I have lost 35. I have been up against folks using Legend backs 16 times, and have faced off mainly against Priests, Demon Hunters, and Shaman with a couple mirror and a couple Druids for "flavor". Only one Rogue, but unfortunately for me they were playing the Crystal quest and had the right pirate and spell to complete the quest on turn two.
Basically at this point I'm feeling like trying to make the climb was a huge mistake. I'm sure I'll be told I should just "get good", and perhaps I really was only lucky to get that far. But it does feel a little broken to put in that effort and see so few results from it.
FWIW I'm back to D4 and 3 stars, and still trying to make the climb, Just feeling like it's much less likely I will succeed.
In case anyone wonders if it's REALLY that hard to get to Legend. I would vote yes :-)
I wasn't sure if I should say anything further on this, but after the last two days I'm feeling like I should say something. Have played 43 games since I hit D1 and 2 stars. I am playing the same deck that got me up there. Out of those 43 games, I have lost 35. I have been up against folks using Legend backs 16 times, and have faced off mainly against Priests, Demon Hunters, and Shaman with a couple mirror and a couple Druids for "flavor". Only one Rogue, but unfortunately for me they were playing the Crystal quest and had the right pirate and spell to complete the quest on turn two.
Basically at this point I'm feeling like trying to make the climb was a huge mistake. I'm sure I'll be told I should just "get good", and perhaps I really was only lucky to get that far. But it does feel a little broken to put in that effort and see so few results from it.
FWIW I'm back to D4 and 3 stars, and still trying to make the climb, Just feeling like it's much less likely I will succeed.
In case anyone wonders if it's REALLY that hard to get to Legend. I would vote yes :-)
Its ONLY hard because the Cancer decks are refined and in full blown BS mode. Its not the players. Nothing to do with it. Its 100% based on matchup and early draws. The games are so one-sided usually that they are over by turn 4-5, even in control games. Conceding is usually a great time saver and probably increases your win rate. Legend is a function of grinding a cancer deck. Nothing more.
Legend more than anything is about the grind. Sure you need to play a good deck and know how to play it well against all your matchups, but the difference between legend and high diamond is you have to play a lot of games. I saw someone said that they auto concede their bad matchups. I usually give it a couple of turns to see if I have a chance against my bad matchups. I agree though that you have to just accept that you will lose some matches and move on. I have also seen it said to not focus on your rank just play for wins. That is also good advise.
I first got legend about a year ago. Was not working and had the time to spend playing a couple hours a day for the month. I took Galakrond Rogue to diamond 2, but then hit a wall. I kept fighting between rank 4-2. Towards the end of the month every time I started winning I was met with non stop aggro demon hunters. No matter how I changed the deck I still had a bad matchup, and changing the deck made other matchups worse. I finally switched to Big Dragon Druid and got there. My point being that it is good to stick with a deck, but sometimes if you are facing a specific meta you might want to change the deck at that time.
Overall though just be prepared to play a lot of games and don't let losses bother you. That first time I reached legend was on the last day of the month with only a couple hours left.
Its ONLY hard because the Cancer decks are refined and in full blown BS mode. Its not the players. Nothing to do with it. Its 100% based on matchup and early draws. The games are so one-sided usually that they are over by turn 4-5, even in control games. Conceding is usually a great time saver and probably increases your win rate. Legend is a function of grinding a cancer deck. Nothing more.
What deck are you using?
I've been using a Secret Mage deck, but agree it seems like unless I get one of the good secrets out on Turn 1 or 2 (so have to have coin and/or the right minion/spell) that I rarely can grind through to a win. I'll keep in mind that I may just need to be willing to drop faster to have more time to win when I'm favored.
Would be curious to know how many games you had to play from D5 with that deck to get ahead. I'd be concerned about the number of Murloc Shaman and Pirate Warrior decks that can clean your field faster than you can kill theirs. Or maybe the MMR doesn't pull them up as much if you're playing Paladin as opposed to Mage :-)
Secret mage is easiest legend in game right now. I went D5 to Legend with only 3 losses and only took 2 hours. This deck destroys priest and warlock 90% of time. Pally is 50/50. Use the mulligan guide if you are new to secret mage. Generally play for board first half of game then face and burn second half of game once you have tempo
# To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone
Secret mage is strong and I got legend with it this month myself, but I think it's pretty disingenuous to say that it beats priest 90 percent of the time. I actually lose practically every single match against res priest if they have even the slightest idea how to play the deck, which really isn't saying much considering it's one of the least skill oriented decks in the history of the game IMO. Frankly if you won more than a few matches against priest I would go so far as to say that you got incredibly lucky, unless there's something you know that I don't. I would be interested to hear how you play the matchup.
To the OP, secret mage, odd warrior, odd dh and (if you're completely braindead) priest are all quite viable for legend. You can go with a fast deck or a slow deck, either will get you there. Ultimately it's just a matter of preference and mindset: if you have the mental resilience to deal with loss streaks and you don't attach too much significance to losses, then you might prefer a fast deck as the climb has the potential to go more quickly but is also far more susceptible to volatility. If you have patience and prefer to lose as little as possible, then a control oriented deck should be more your speed.
Otherwise it's all about setting goals and being smart about how you play. Obviously you want to play well, but you also want to put yourself in a position to do so. That means playing when you're mentally sharp (not tired, hungry, etc.) and staying mindful about how you feel. You generally don't want to keep playing if you're on tilt, and ideally you don't want to tilt in the first place. This is where setting goals can be helpful. So if you are at say d5 1 star, you could say you want to be at d4 1 star or d3 1 star at the end of your que. That is to say, set realistic short term goals. You don't need to get to legend in a day, but you can take steps each day to get a little closer.
And finally, try not to attach too much to losses. Even the best players in the world have days where they go on huge loss streaks. I remember watching a Thijs stream recently where he lost something like 10 in a row, and he kept playing. What often separates the best players from very good ones is that they can push through these negative moments and retain a constructive outlook. Some days you just have really bad luck, and other days you'll get really lucky. It's important for you to understand that this doesn't make you a bad player, it's just the way the game is now.
But yeah, best of luck and sorry for the rant, lol. And don't worry too much if you don't get legend this month, you'll have the 9 or 10 star bonus next month and it'll be pretty easy for you to get back to where you are now fairly quickly. GL on ladder bruv.
Secret mage is easiest legend in game right now. I went D5 to Legend with only 3 losses and only took 2 hours. This deck destroys priest and warlock 90% of time. Pally is 50/50. Use the mulligan guide if you are new to secret mage. Generally play for board first half of game then face and burn second half of game once you have tempo
# To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone
Secret mage is strong and I got legend with it this month myself, but I think it's pretty disingenuous to say that it beats priest 90 percent of the time. I actually lose practically every single match against res priest if they have even the slightest idea how to play the deck, which really isn't saying much considering it's one of the least skill oriented decks in the history of the game IMO. Frankly if you won more than a few matches against priest I would go so far as to say that you got incredibly lucky, unless there's something you know that I don't. I would be interested to hear how you play the matchup.
To the OP, secret mage, odd warrior, odd dh and (if you're completely braindead) priest are all quite viable for legend. You can go with a fast deck or a slow deck, either will get you there. Ultimately it's just a matter of preference and mindset: if you have the mental resilience to deal with loss streaks and you don't attach too much significance to losses, then you might prefer a fast deck as the climb has the potential to go more quickly but is also far more susceptible to volatility. If you have patience and prefer to lose as little as possible, then a control oriented deck should be more your speed.
Otherwise it's all about setting goals and being smart about how you play. Obviously you want to play well, but you also want to put yourself in a position to do so. That means playing when you're mentally sharp (not tired, hungry, etc.) and staying mindful about how you feel. You generally don't want to keep playing if you're on tilt, and ideally you don't want to tilt in the first place. This is where setting goals can be helpful. So if you are at say d5 1 star, you could say you want to be at d4 1 star or d3 1 star at the end of your que. That is to say, set realistic short term goals. You don't need to get to legend in a day, but you can take steps each day to get a little closer.
And finally, try not to attach too much to losses. Even the best players in the world have days where they go on huge loss streaks. I remember watching a Thijs stream recently where he lost something like 10 in a row, and he kept playing. What often separates the best players from very good ones is that they can push through these negative moments and retain a constructive outlook. Some days you just have really bad luck, and other days you'll get really lucky. It's important for you to understand that this doesn't make you a bad player, it's just the way the game is now.
But yeah, best of luck and sorry for the rant, lol. And don't worry too much if you don't get legend this month, you'll have the 9 or 10 star bonus next month and it'll be pretty easy for you to get back to where you are now fairly quickly. GL on ladder bruv.
I have lost to rez priest but they aren't popular right now. In the whole climb I faced maybe 2 rez priest and only lost 1 of those. Secret mage can blow them out by turn 5 if you draw well, and generally the turn 5 summon a minion gets counter spelled (unless they are smart and saved a coin or cheap spell that got discounted). I had a way tougher time vs. aggro (pirate warrior especially). Odd pally was also tough. Even hunter. Odd DH. If they got a quick start I couldn't catch up. Even aggro druid. But warlocks and priest were food unless they got a great draw/lucky eater of secrets. Even when they zephyr a flare (again, usually it was raza priest) it would get counter spelled a lot of the time (or only get 1 secret that wasn't necessary). Also got blown out by a dark glare once but in the climb to legend I didn't deal with a lot of this (I figure people that good w dark glare get to legend quick/climb high legend).
Now raza priest I ran into a ton of those and they got wrecked most of the time by secret package. Just too much value and tempo. Maybe I drew better? But out of 20ish total games vs priest I had less than a handful of losses w secret mage
TL;DR: Secret mage, odd pally, odd DH, pirate warrior are guaranteed legend for anyone with half a brain who is willing to play >100 games in a season
If you have a 55% win rate, on average it will take 117 games to climb from D5 to legend.
BUT, the standard deviation on that is huge. A decent # of 55% win rate players will get there in 20 games, and about the same number of similarly skilled players will require over 400 games. So luck is the largest determining factor in the grind. Of course, those who get lucky and get there in 20 games will naturally believe that they are extremely skilled.
With a 51% win rate, the average goes up to 220 games, and the standard deviation is more than double.
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Have made it to Diamond 5 for only the second time since the new Ranking Ladder came out, and am thinking with a couple weeks left this may be my chance to finally make Legend.
I understand that once you pass D5 you no longer get extra stars for win streaks, right? So any suggestions for getting through the slog? Better to go with a fast deck to get you through more games in a day, or a slower deck with a slightly higher win rate? Any other suggestions?
Fast. Hunter and Elemental Shaman are good for the climb.
Be prepared to be really irritated. From D5 down, its a cancer ward. Every mouth-breather deck is on display one after another. All busted, all ridiculous. Of course, YOU can play one of those decks too but then the problem becomes: Wins and losses are 100% out of your control. Whoever draws their busted shit first wins Or, with polarized match ups the game is over before it even starts. That happens a lot too.
Im using a Reno Hunter deck that gets me to D3-D2 but thats it. Full wall of Paladins and Priests. There is almost nothing I can do against either deck. Paladins buff their 1 cost minions so they are like 8/8 and many have charge. WHAT the $%^&* is that? And Priest? yeah, right. Vargoth makes that Res crap obscene. Even if i stay patient and can Sylvanas one of their big minions or Hex one with Zephyrs..... they still manage to crank out big minion after big minion and then res them like 37 times.
So, just.... use Paladin(handBuff or unlimited divine shield and buffs to recruits) or Res priest. Secret mage can work too b but even my Reno Hunter deck wrecks them like 65% of the time.
Well, just had a "fun" server issue where I had finally gotten all three stars on D5, and then beat a Shaman, and rather than move up to D4 with 1 star it told me "You can't drop below this level".
Pardon me while I go take a moment to shed a few tears...
I have success with Reno secret mage (last month I got legend with it) but regular secret mage is probably better and definitely cheaper.
I made that exact climb two days ago. I reached legend with a Face Hunter. I just auto-conceded every time I saw a priest. Be patient. I got to Diamond 1 like 6 times before finally breaking through.
Secret mage is easiest legend in game right now. I went D5 to Legend with only 3 losses and only took 2 hours. This deck destroys priest and warlock 90% of time. Pally is 50/50. Use the mulligan guide if you are new to secret mage. Generally play for board first half of game then face and burn second half of game once you have tempo
### Secret Mage - Wild Meta Snapshot - Jun. 9, 2021
# Class: Mage
# Format: Wild
#
# 2x (1) Kabal Lackey
# 2x (2) Ancient Mysteries
# 2x (2) Arcane Flakmage
# 2x (2) Arcanologist
# 2x (2) Mad Scientist
# 2x (2) Medivh's Valet
# 2x (3) Counterspell
# 2x (3) Explosive Runes
# 1x (3) Ice Block
# 2x (3) Kirin Tor Mage
# 1x (3) Oasis Ally
# 2x (3) Rigged Faire Game
# 2x (4) Fireball
# 1x (4) Occult Conjurer
# 2x (5) Cloud Prince
# 2x (6) Kabal Crystal Runner
# 1x (6) Sayge, Seer of Darkmoon
#
AAEBAf0EBMABwfADkOEDleEDDeu6AvSrA76kA8agBPcN17YC558Ej9MC7AWR4QP9ngTdqQOHvQIA
#
# To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone
I personally suggest using something aggro-oriented, for quick and efficient games. In this current meta, Odd Pal feels like a stomper and lots of opponents simply concede on the 4-5th turn because they don't have any tools to clear the board.
You should try it.
Agreed - its 100% brainless and does work. But, mind you - the DECK gets legend and climbs, NOT the player. If people are good with that then go for it. But you didnt do anything to contribute. Just clarifying that fact.
Any particular version of Odd Paly you recommend? I'm up to D2 now, and so far have only seen one of these so it's a little hard to get a feel for what makes the deck go.
FWIW, got up to D1 with 2 stars, and then back and forth, taking a break at D1 with 1 star. Have never seen so many Priest decks in my life :-)
I wasn't sure if I should say anything further on this, but after the last two days I'm feeling like I should say something. Have played 43 games since I hit D1 and 2 stars. I am playing the same deck that got me up there. Out of those 43 games, I have lost 35. I have been up against folks using Legend backs 16 times, and have faced off mainly against Priests, Demon Hunters, and Shaman with a couple mirror and a couple Druids for "flavor". Only one Rogue, but unfortunately for me they were playing the Crystal quest and had the right pirate and spell to complete the quest on turn two.
Basically at this point I'm feeling like trying to make the climb was a huge mistake. I'm sure I'll be told I should just "get good", and perhaps I really was only lucky to get that far. But it does feel a little broken to put in that effort and see so few results from it.
FWIW I'm back to D4 and 3 stars, and still trying to make the climb, Just feeling like it's much less likely I will succeed.
In case anyone wonders if it's REALLY that hard to get to Legend. I would vote yes :-)
Its ONLY hard because the Cancer decks are refined and in full blown BS mode. Its not the players. Nothing to do with it. Its 100% based on matchup and early draws. The games are so one-sided usually that they are over by turn 4-5, even in control games. Conceding is usually a great time saver and probably increases your win rate. Legend is a function of grinding a cancer deck. Nothing more.
What deck are you using?
Legend more than anything is about the grind. Sure you need to play a good deck and know how to play it well against all your matchups, but the difference between legend and high diamond is you have to play a lot of games. I saw someone said that they auto concede their bad matchups. I usually give it a couple of turns to see if I have a chance against my bad matchups. I agree though that you have to just accept that you will lose some matches and move on. I have also seen it said to not focus on your rank just play for wins. That is also good advise.
I first got legend about a year ago. Was not working and had the time to spend playing a couple hours a day for the month. I took Galakrond Rogue to diamond 2, but then hit a wall. I kept fighting between rank 4-2. Towards the end of the month every time I started winning I was met with non stop aggro demon hunters. No matter how I changed the deck I still had a bad matchup, and changing the deck made other matchups worse. I finally switched to Big Dragon Druid and got there. My point being that it is good to stick with a deck, but sometimes if you are facing a specific meta you might want to change the deck at that time.
Overall though just be prepared to play a lot of games and don't let losses bother you. That first time I reached legend was on the last day of the month with only a couple hours left.
Good Luck
Got to Legend for the first time this month with this Deck
### Odd Paladin - Wild Meta Snapshot - Jun. 22, 2021
# Class: Paladin
# Format: Wild
#
# 1x (1) Animated Broomstick
# 2x (1) Conviction (Rank 1)
# 2x (1) Crystology
# 2x (1) Knight of Anointment
# 2x (1) Lost in the Jungle
# 2x (1) Oh My Yogg!
# 2x (1) Righteous Cause
# 2x (1) Righteous Protector
# 2x (1) Tour Guide
# 2x (3) Carnival Barker
# 1x (3) Divine Favor
# 1x (3) Lord Barov
# 2x (3) Muster for Battle
# 2x (3) Warhorse Trainer
# 1x (5) Loatheb
# 1x (5) Lothraxion the Redeemed
# 2x (5) Quartermaster
# 1x (9) Baku the Mooneater
#
AAEBAaToAgaVzQOnBZPQA/oOh94DnvgCDOPrA9n+AszrA7jHAoPeA4ytA8mgBJvNA4TeA+0Px6AE7A8A
#
# To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone
I have a limited time to play, so I went with a faster deck. Good Luck.
I've been using a Secret Mage deck, but agree it seems like unless I get one of the good secrets out on Turn 1 or 2 (so have to have coin and/or the right minion/spell) that I rarely can grind through to a win. I'll keep in mind that I may just need to be willing to drop faster to have more time to win when I'm favored.
Would be curious to know how many games you had to play from D5 with that deck to get ahead. I'd be concerned about the number of Murloc Shaman and Pirate Warrior decks that can clean your field faster than you can kill theirs. Or maybe the MMR doesn't pull them up as much if you're playing Paladin as opposed to Mage :-)
Thanks for the suggestion.
Secret mage is strong and I got legend with it this month myself, but I think it's pretty disingenuous to say that it beats priest 90 percent of the time. I actually lose practically every single match against res priest if they have even the slightest idea how to play the deck, which really isn't saying much considering it's one of the least skill oriented decks in the history of the game IMO. Frankly if you won more than a few matches against priest I would go so far as to say that you got incredibly lucky, unless there's something you know that I don't. I would be interested to hear how you play the matchup.
To the OP, secret mage, odd warrior, odd dh and (if you're completely braindead) priest are all quite viable for legend. You can go with a fast deck or a slow deck, either will get you there. Ultimately it's just a matter of preference and mindset: if you have the mental resilience to deal with loss streaks and you don't attach too much significance to losses, then you might prefer a fast deck as the climb has the potential to go more quickly but is also far more susceptible to volatility. If you have patience and prefer to lose as little as possible, then a control oriented deck should be more your speed.
Otherwise it's all about setting goals and being smart about how you play. Obviously you want to play well, but you also want to put yourself in a position to do so. That means playing when you're mentally sharp (not tired, hungry, etc.) and staying mindful about how you feel. You generally don't want to keep playing if you're on tilt, and ideally you don't want to tilt in the first place. This is where setting goals can be helpful. So if you are at say d5 1 star, you could say you want to be at d4 1 star or d3 1 star at the end of your que. That is to say, set realistic short term goals. You don't need to get to legend in a day, but you can take steps each day to get a little closer.
And finally, try not to attach too much to losses. Even the best players in the world have days where they go on huge loss streaks. I remember watching a Thijs stream recently where he lost something like 10 in a row, and he kept playing. What often separates the best players from very good ones is that they can push through these negative moments and retain a constructive outlook. Some days you just have really bad luck, and other days you'll get really lucky. It's important for you to understand that this doesn't make you a bad player, it's just the way the game is now.
But yeah, best of luck and sorry for the rant, lol. And don't worry too much if you don't get legend this month, you'll have the 9 or 10 star bonus next month and it'll be pretty easy for you to get back to where you are now fairly quickly. GL on ladder bruv.
I have lost to rez priest but they aren't popular right now. In the whole climb I faced maybe 2 rez priest and only lost 1 of those. Secret mage can blow them out by turn 5 if you draw well, and generally the turn 5 summon a minion gets counter spelled (unless they are smart and saved a coin or cheap spell that got discounted). I had a way tougher time vs. aggro (pirate warrior especially). Odd pally was also tough. Even hunter. Odd DH. If they got a quick start I couldn't catch up. Even aggro druid. But warlocks and priest were food unless they got a great draw/lucky eater of secrets. Even when they zephyr a flare (again, usually it was raza priest) it would get counter spelled a lot of the time (or only get 1 secret that wasn't necessary). Also got blown out by a dark glare once but in the climb to legend I didn't deal with a lot of this (I figure people that good w dark glare get to legend quick/climb high legend).
Now raza priest I ran into a ton of those and they got wrecked most of the time by secret package. Just too much value and tempo. Maybe I drew better? But out of 20ish total games vs priest I had less than a handful of losses w secret mage
TL;DR: Secret mage, odd pally, odd DH, pirate warrior are guaranteed legend for anyone with half a brain who is willing to play >100 games in a season
Speaking of the grind, here's some info.
If you have a 55% win rate, on average it will take 117 games to climb from D5 to legend.
BUT, the standard deviation on that is huge. A decent # of 55% win rate players will get there in 20 games, and about the same number of similarly skilled players will require over 400 games. So luck is the largest determining factor in the grind. Of course, those who get lucky and get there in 20 games will naturally believe that they are extremely skilled.
With a 51% win rate, the average goes up to 220 games, and the standard deviation is more than double.